What We Do

Register / Research / Recover

REGISTERING YOUR CLAIM

When a work of art is stolen, looted, missing, or subject to any kind of title dispute, we recommend recording your claim on international databases. This procedure serves to register your claim to an object and makes it clear to the art world that they need to recognise or resolve your title claim before the object can be bought or sold in the marketplace.

At Art Recovery International ("ARI"), we work closely with the non-profit Artive Database project (artive.org) which has become the central database for recording stolen, looted, and missing works of art as well as any kind of title dispute over fine art.

The Artive Database is checked by auction houses, dealers, collectors, insurers, and lawyers as part of their due diligence procedures when buying or selling a work of art. When a match is made with an object listed on the database, ARI is often contacted to recover the object for the theft victim or resolve the title dispute between the possessor and claimant. What is unique about the Artive Database is that there is no obligation to contact ARI once an object has been located. Registrants are free to use their own lawyers, police officers, and experts to resolve the title claim. We are confident in our reputation and successes over the years and offer our services to those in need of our professional assistance.

We are proud to have been involved in the development of the Artive Database before setting it free as an independent, ethical, and non-conflicted alternative to other stolen art databases. We can assist you with the registration of your loss or dispute on the Artive Database as well as liaising with Interpol, FBI, Carabinieri, and other international law enforcement databases. We believe in the database concept as the most effective way to locate an object on the international art market.

To register a claim on Artive database, contact them at www.artive.org or click on the link to the right.

PROVENANCE RESEARCH AND DUE DILIGENCE

Most of the art theft cases we handle are well-documented thefts reported to the police or governmental authorities. However, we are regularly approached by individuals or families who believe they have a claim to a work of art in a public or private collection.

Art Recovery International works with some of the world’s finest art historians and provenance researchers to investigate the history of an object to support, or refute a claim. Our discreet services are available to collectors, dealers, insurers, family offices and lawyers who wish to clarify the previous record of ownership of a work of art. Providing our clients with a well-researched report is critical in making informed decisions during the claim and dispute resolution process.

ART RECOVERY AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICES

Once an object has been located and confirmed to have been stolen, looted, or subject to a title dispute, Art Recovery International can help. We specialise in negotiating with the possessors of tainted works of art to obtain the best possible result for our clients. This includes working with law enforcement, insurance companies, lawyers, auction houses, dealers, and some very colourful characters who possess disputed works of art. Our aim is to reach confidential and amicable resolutions without having to resort to litigation which can be costly, time consuming, and very public.

Our work often requires coordinating with fine art insurance companies. We have developed a close working relationship with loss adjusters, insurance brokers, and insurance company professionals worldwide. Insurance professionals benefit from our experience in the recovery of stolen art and can rely on our policy of strict adherence to legal ethics and the attorney’s code of professional responsibility.